Calif. bans gun toting in public

California Gov. Jerry Brown announced Monday that he signed into law a measure that bans handgun owners from openly carrying their weapons in public.

Previous regulations had allowed the open carrying of unloaded handguns in public, but police chiefs and sheriffs objected to the rule because people felt frightened when they saw handguns in public places.

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“They are tied up dealing with calls from the public about gun-toting men and women in the coffee shop,” California Assemblyman Antony Portantino, who introduced the bill, said last month. “As law enforcement officials tell me, it’s not safe and someone is going to get hurt.”

Gun rights activists had exercised their right to open carry their unloaded firearms by showing up to public places in large numbers with firearms in holsters, which alarmed some members of the public.

The governor’s office made the announcement that he signed the legislation, AB144, in statement on Monday.

Brown has been signing dozens of measures sent to him by legislators. The bills signed in the last few days include legislation approving a state version of the DREAM Act; banning the sale and possession of shark fins; a farm workers rights bill; limiting the use of tanning beds for those under 18 years old; and a union-backed bill prohibiting grocery stores from selling beer, wine or liquor using self-checkout lanes.